hummed

Hummed is the past tense and past participle of the verb hum. Hum can mean to produce a sound by vibrating the vocal cords with the mouth closed, often creating a low, musical note. It can also describe making a continuous, low sound with an appliance or the surrounding environment, such as machinery or air currents. The present participle is humming, and the noun form hum refers to either the sound itself or the act of producing it.

In usage, a person may hum a tune with closed lips, or a fridge may hum in the kitchen. The phrase the room hummed with activity expresses a busy, ongoing atmosphere. Hummed can describe a completed action in the past, as in “She hummed softly to herself,” or it can convey a calm, gentle sound within a scene.

Etymology and nature: The verb hum is of Germanic origin and is broadly onomatopoeic, imitating the sound it describes. The past tense is formed regularly with -ed, yielding hummed, pronounced with a final /d/ sound after the /m/.

See also: hum, humming.